Due to several important limitations for applications of thermoplastic starch (TPS), thermoplastic acetylated cassava starch (TPACS) polymer was reinforced by different contents of neem wood sawdust (SD). Thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS)/SD composites were also prepared and reinforced by different SD contents and compared with the TPACS/SD composites. Morphological, thermal, and biodegradable properties of different composites were also examined. The results showed that IR absorption bands of OH stretching and OH bending vibrations shifted to lower wavenumbers, indicating new hydrogen bond formation for all composites. Stress at maximum load and Young's modulus were significantly improved when the SD content increased for all the TPACS/SD and TPCS/SD composites; strain at maximum load was higher for the TPACS/SD composites. A decrease in water uptake was detected when the SD reinforcement was incorporated into either the TPACS or TPCS matrix.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.